Siblings reunite

TRACI ANDERSON

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Thursday, July 22, 2004

Wolfgang Lindner, 62, hadn't seen his only sister, Karin Roeseler, for more than 40 years  ever since he came to the U.S. from Germany when he was 17. Because of poor communication, he hadn't spoken to her through mail or phone, either. Then one day about a couple of years ago, he received a letter from her that bore very sad news. Their older brother, Winfried, had passed away from a heart attack.

That bittersweet letter is something no one ever wants to get, but Wolfgang did feel a bit of happiness.

"It was so good to hear from her," he said. "I missed her."

The letter included an address and phone number. Wolfgang wrote her a letter in return, telling her he was glad to hear from her despite the somber news. The letter led to phone calls every Sunday, and the phone calls led to the decision for Karin and her husband, Karl-Heinz, to make the 8 1/2 hour plane trip from Berlin to Michigan in May 2003.

"I wanted to get to know her again," Wolfgang said of his younger sister.

Wolfgang said even though he hadn't seen his sister in 45 years, he instantly recognized her when she came off of the plane at the airport.

"It was fabulous," he said of seeing his sister. "I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't."

"I was very happy, and I cried," said Karin, who understands most English but speaks only German.

The May 2003 trip was Karin's

first trip to the U.S. The trip was at a particularly good time, since it was Wolfgang's birthday.

For the first while, Wolfgang and Karin spent their time together just talking  and talking some more. They made a trip to Niagra Falls, and Wolfgang and his wife, Sandra, gave Karin and Karl-Heinz a tour of the Thumb. The special visit lasted two weeks.

In January 2004, Karin decided she wanted to come back to visit Wolfgang and Sandra. She and her husband arrived in early June for a six-week stay, and they plan to depart Saturday.

During this stay, they took a trip to Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island. They saw the Independence Day fireworks in Caseville. They traveled to Frankenmuth, which Karl-Heinz didn't think was very German despite the tourist town's German theme. They also went to a Julio Iglesias concert.

"We mostly stayed around here," Wolfgang said.

Karin and Karl-Heinz like to keep busy, Wolfgang noted.

"They always have to be doing something," he said.

The couple cleaned Wolfgang and Sandra's garage and the yard. Much to Wolfgang's delight, Karin cooked German meals each day, including dishes such as potato salad, potato soup, and cabbage rolls.

Wolfgang and Karin, naturally, have been doing plenty of reminiscing. Before coming to the U.S., Karin and Karl-Heinz took pictures of different areas where Wolfgang grew up, such as the school he attended.

"I thought it was great," Wolfgang said.

Karin and Karl-Heinz also took pictures of Winfried's home and his gravesite.

"I wish I could've seen him one more time," Wolfgang said of his brother. He said he'd only talked to Winfried through mail four or five times since he came to the U.S.

Wolfgang said his cousins from Germany sent over pictures of family members with his sister. Some of the pictures featured Wolfgang's and Karin's parents, Alfred and Charlotte.

Alfred was killed in World War II and Charlotte died the same year when Wolfgang was just 3 years old and Karin was only 5 months old. After that, Wolfgang lived with one of his grandmothers and Karin and Winfried lived with another grandmother.

"I lived in West Berlin and they lived in East Berlin," Wolfgang said. "Karin learned Russian and I learned English."

"I don't know Russian anymore," Karin said.

Wolfgang said he would see his sister and brother occasionally. He would walk 1 1/2 hours to see them.

"I'd go to church with them (sometimes)," he said.

Wolfgang then decided he was going to move to the U.S. in October 1958. His then-girlfriend already had immigrated here with her parents, and people at her church sponsored Wolfgang to come to the U.S. Wolfgang said he liked the idea of coming to the U.S. and being able to make money anywhere and having a good life.

"When I told (my sister and brother) I was going to the U.S., I don't think they believed me," Wolfgang said.

"It was hard to understand how he could go from one country to the other (to live)," Karin said.

Upon coming to the U.S., Wolfgang lived in Waterford with the people that sponsored him. Although he'd finished school in Germany, he went to Waterford High School to catch up on his English. After that, he moved to Detroit.

"I lived in a hole in the wall," he said with a chuckle.

He then lived with a family for a year.

He worked at a pharmacy as a salesperson for two years.

He married his first wife and moved back to Waterford. He

worked in Pontiac for a furniture company for 1 1/2 years and then worked for General Motors for 2 1/2 years. He then started his own television and appliance business in Lake Orion, which he operated for 25 years.

"It was a lot of work. I enjoyed doing it," he said.

In the meantime, his first marriage ended. He met his current wife, Sandra, when she came into his store one day. She ended up working for him and they married.

Wolfgang then started having heart problems. At the age of 52 in 1994, he had open heart surgery. Because of his failing health, he had to sell his business.

"It was very hard. It was tearing me up," he said.

He and Sandra came to live in Bay Port in 1997. Wolfgang said she had seen an ad about Bay Port and she wanted to see the area. All it took was one visit and she fell in love with the area.

"We enjoy the quietness up here," he said.

Over the years since Wolfgang came to the U.S., Karin said she wrote and sent letters to Wolfgang, but Wolfgang never received them. Thankfully, he received the letter about his brother's death. It was sent to a former address of Wolfgang's, but it eventually got to him.

Wolfgang has thoroughly enjoyed visiting with his sister, and Sandra said it's done him a world of good, especially considering his heart condition.

"Seeing my sister has opened up a while new avenue for me as far as family goes," he said.

He said he's learned more about her and about himself.

"I'm surprised at how much we're alike," he said.

One similarity is heart problems. Karin has heart problems, and their brother died of heart problems.

"I used to think (my heart problems were) my fault, but now I know that it's not just me," Wolfgang said.

He said the heart problems came from their parents, possibly on the mother's side.

"I didn't realize that our parents had left us such a legacy," Wolfgang quipped.

Wolfgang is amazed at how quickly his sister learns. Before she came to the U.S. last year, she didn't understand English. She's picked up what she knows from her visits with Wolfgang.

Wolfgang said during a trip to Wal-Mart in Bad Axe, Karin was looking for something.

"She explained (to a Wal-Mart store clerk) in German what she wanted, " Wolfgang said.

The store clerk understood enough to help Karin find what she needed.

"Even without speaking English, she got around Wal-Mart very well," Wolfgang said, who noted that there are Wal-Marts in Germany.

Wolfgang still speaks German, even though he hasn't been in Germany for decades and rarely speaks the language. Karin said while he's a bit rusty, "he's doing remarkably well."

As for next year, Karin said she may not come to the U.S. to visit, although there are places she'd like to see yet, including the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

Wolfgang may still get a German visitor, however. He found out that his cousin whom he grew up with, Rosemarie Schroeder, wants to visit him. The last time he had contact with her was about a year ago. She's never been to the U.S.

Karin said none of her five children have been to the U.S. before, but that they will visit someday. Karin and Karl-Heinz also have 11 grandchildren.

Wolfgang has 10 children, five with Sandy, and 13 grandchildren. Most of them live in Michigan and all but one of the children have met their German aunt and uncle.

Karin has enjoyed her time in the U.S.

"It's beautiful. It exceeded everything I could think of," she said. "People are friendlier here (and) there are open spaces here."

Wolfgang isn't sure that he could go back to Germany for a visit, especially a long-term one, because of his heart. Karin has been telling him about what the country is like now.

"Berlin has completely revitalized itself (since I left)," he said. "Everything has changed. Things that I thought were still there are torn down."

Despite his health, he's hoping he can return to the place that still holds a special place in his heart.

"I'd love to see it," he said.

Until when he can possibly make the journey back to his home country, he will always be grateful for the delightful journey he and his sister have made together since their reunion  remembering the past, celebrating the present, and holding lots of hope for the future.